Stateline Western Australia

Kim Beazley 's first week on the Labor back-bench

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): It's been two months since the federal Labor Party dumped Kim Beazley in favour of Kevin Rudd, a decision that appears to have been quickly vindicated. This week in the polls, Mr Rudd eclipsed Mr Beazley's satisfaction rating by a whopping 30 points and already he's neck and neck with John Howard as preferred prime minister. As Labor MP's try not to get too giddy over the results, Mr Beazley has been left wondering yet again, what might have been. I spoke with him earlier from Sydney. Kim Beazley welcome to the program.

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Nice to be chatting to you Rebecca.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): Two months have now passed since the ballot are you still unhappy about the result, about not being leader?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Well if I hadn't have wanted to be leader I wouldn't have run but I must say after a week in parliament I'm very happy to see the performance of the party in the parliament taking the fight up to the government. I think the government is in a deal of trouble and I take some satisfaction from that.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): Have you asked yourself though what went wrong?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): No. Look I was pleased by the fact that we built a very good base for the party. We have now been ahead of the government for about 15 months now and the government is on the wrong side of every issue that means something serious to the Australian people, be it industrial relations right through to the Iraq war to the issues now related to climate change and the Labor party has the relevant policy out there and those relevant policies are now deeply influencing the public mind. They are agreeing with us so I do believe that Kevin is in a very good position to win and I've played some small role over the course of the last couple of years in that situation developing.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): Is it still your view that you could have won the election?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Look that's academic now The duty I imposed on myself.....

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): I'm just asking for your opinion.

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): The duty that is imposed on myself and every other member of the party now is to make sure that Kevin wins and the party wins.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): Kevin Rudd has only been leader for two months he is polling very strongly. What do you put that down to?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Well we have been polling strongly now for fifteen months, that's been building up. Its the issues, we have put down and argued for some considerable period of time a proposition on industrial relations which would make people better off, a proposition on issues relating to climate change which people now see is correct. Now the public is saying who do you trust here? The people have been arguing this case for a lengthy period of time or a government in denial and they are emphatically saying we trust the people who seem to know what they are doing.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): When you were leader you said the number one issue for this election would be industrial relations. Do you still think it is the number one issue?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Well it is certainly one of the factors involved in turning people away from the Liberal party. There is a traditional group of Australian workers who over the years, including a lot of unionists who voted for the Liberals, the Liberals have turned their back on them so that's one group but there are also a large section of the community now from all backgrounds seriously worried about the consequences of climate change and quite frankly they simply don't trust this government and they are right not to.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): The Labor party certainly does seem united now but that hasn't always been the case. Based on your own experiences, would you say that there is a culture of destabilisation of the Leader within the ALP.

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): No, look I think the Labor party is absolutely determined to win this election and we are absolutely determined to win it on the basis that we've got the right policies for the country. Now those policies have been out there for a bit now and they continue to be advocated effectively by us, we are not going to let any issues or disagreement among ourselves stand in the way of victory and ....

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): But that's happened in the past, you were undermined, Mark Latham was undermined, Simon Crean was undermined when does it stop?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Well let me tell you its not going to happen in the next eight months. In the next eight months you will see a Labor party full of hope and determination and that hope and determination will carry us through this next election. Problems really, if you are looking for issues of disunity, disagreement, you basically now have to look to the Liberal party both at the Federal and State levels. They have got a lot of problems and they are not going to resolve those problems by the time the next election comes around.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): You have said that you will retire from politics later this year after being a parliamentarian for 27 years. How hard will it be to relinquish that seat of yours?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Very hard. I have loved the time I have been in politics, its been an enormous privilege, the Australian people have provided me with great opportunities and so have the Labor party and I'm deeply grateful for all of them and I'll leave politics not with any sentiment of bitterness or regret, I'll leave politics with a deep sense of gratitude.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): So you are still certain that you do want to retire, one of your colleagues changed his mind recently.

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): Look I will be leaving parliament Rebecca. I wont be retiring, I will be doing a lot of things that will interest me and I hope I'll make some small contribution to the nation while I am doing them.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): Is it a life that you would recommend to others, being a parliamentarian ?

KIM BEAZLEY (MEMBER FOR BRAND): It's a life of service and it's a great privilege to be of service. It's a life at the heart of a nation and I would encourage any young person looking out at their future to include within their consideration, the possibility that at some point of time they may seek to represent their fellow Australians, they will find it a most satisfying way of spending their time.

REBECCA CARMODY (PRESENTER): Kim Beazley all the best and thanks for joining me.